1994-95 Stadium Club Basketball was a premiere Topps release that featured high end, crisp photography, a bit of foil and a number of trend setting inserts sets.
Inserted at a rate of one in 24 Series 1 packs, the 10 card Rising Stars insert set features young players that Stadium Club tabbed as the league’s future.
The card fronts offer an other worldly home for these shooting NBA stars. The background shows part of planet Earth in basketball form with a vast galaxy of shooting stars and bright circular lights with a holographic, refractor style foundation. The player’s name is found in a thin, metallic gold font and the Rising Stars logo offers a very Ed McMahon hosting Star Search vibe.
The backs of the cards feature an action shot of the player with the same picture as the backdrop. On top of the background is a number of that show how the player featured is trending upward in their career versus players drafted at the same position in the same draft class. That is the basis of the set, through raw stats these cats were trending before Twitter and other social media existed.
The set tipped off with Kenny Anderson at #1. An NBA All-Star the season before, Anderson averaged 17.6 points and over 9 assists per game in the ’94-95 season.
Golden State Warriors lightning rod Latrell Sprewell is the second card. Spree is seen just moments after releasing a jump shot, which looks pretty spectacular with the aforementioned backdrop. 
Dallas Mavericks forward Jamal Mashburn is featured next. In his second season in the league, the 22-year-old averaged 24 points per game, the highest total of his career. Teaming up with future Hall of Famer Jason Kidd and scoring machine Jimmy Jackson, Dallas had an incredible young nucleus in the mid-90s.
Charlotte Hornets center Alonzo Mourning is the fourth card in the set. ‘Zo was 100% a rising star, now in his third season in the league. By that point Mourning was a back-to-back All-Star selection and was in the midst of his third straight season of averaging more than 21 points per game. He was just a tick shy from averaging 10 boards per game for the third straight season as well. The Georgetown product also averaged 3 blocks per game, which ranked high league wide. A rising star indeed. 
Orlando Magic icon Shaquille O’Neal is number five in the set. By his third season in the league, Shaq Diesel was a bonafide superstar, ripping entire rims to the ground, swatting shots into the stands, grabbing rebounds at a team record clip, diving for loose balls, showing off his signature Reebok kicks, all while averaging nearly 30 points and 12 rebounds per game and becoming one of the young faces of the NBA.
Notre Dame product LaPhonso Ellis was featured next. After averaging nearly 15 points per game in each of his first two seasons The Fonz only played in six games in 1994 95. He pieced together a solid career over the next decade. 
The Golden State Warriors reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Chris Webber is found the seventh slot. During his sophomore season, Webber averaged 20 points per game and nearly 10 rebounds. This 20 point per game average was the start of nearly a decade long run of averaging 20 points a night.
Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Isaiah Rider flies in next. A definite rising star in 94-95, Rider averaged 20 points per game for the only season of his career. It didn’t hurt that Rider introduced the East Bay Funk Dunk to the world and won the 1994 NBA slam dunk contest.
Next up is Denver Nuggets center Dikembe Mutombo. Mount Mutombo is a clear rising star and one of the biggest defensive forces in the league, leading the league in blocks per game with 3.9 per game in 1994-95. He is shown throwing what appears to be an outlet pass on his card, an interesting choice of photos for one of the all time defensive greats. 
Quite possibly the biggest rising star in the game that season was Orlando Magic point guard Anfernee Hardaway. Penny was one of the biggest playmakers in the league and the focus of a huge Nike campaign. The Robin to Shaquille O’Neal’s Batman, The Magic had what looked to be a future dynasty in Orlando.
Indiana Pacers big man Antonio Davis is the next star. Although Davis didn’t put up eye popping numbers, he was a rock solid defender and rebounder, spending six years in Indianapolis before finding a second home north of the border in Toronto where he secured his lone All-Star appearance later in his career.
“Big Shot Bob” is the last card in Rising Stars. Houston Rockets forward Robert Horry rounds out the set in championship form. The season ended with Horry being a part of his second NBA championship with the Houston Rockets. Horry went on to win a total of seven NBA championships with various teams including two in Houston, three in Los Angeles with the Lakers and two more with the San Antonio Spurs.
As with many great looking sets from the junk wax era, 1994-95 Stadium Club Rising Stars cards can generally be had for only a few dollars apiece.
Related Stories:
1996-97 Skybox Premium New Editions Put NBA Rookies in the Game
1998-99 Fleer Tradition Playmakers Theatre Offers Rare Spotlight and Stage for NBA Stars
1993-94 Skybox Premium Thunder & Lightning Brought Storm of Teammates
1992-93 Fleer Basketball All-Star Set Focused on Previous Season’s Honorees
The 1998-99 Skybox E-X Century Insert had Collectors Running on Dunk ‘N Go Nuts
1998-99 Topps Chrome Supplies Chromium Vinsanity, Multiple HOF RCs, Original Inserts
Topps 1992-93 Basketball Set Got Company Back in the Game
1993-94 Topps Finest Basketball Broke New Ground in Hoops Market
